"Mr. Ayscough!" he gasped. "S'elp me!--there's a dead man here! Look for
yourself!"
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
THE EMPTY HOUSE
Ayscough had manifested a certain restiveness and dislike to the
proceedings ever since his companion had induced him to enter the back
door of Molteno Lodge--these doings appeared to him informal and
irregular. But at Melky's sudden exclamation his professional instincts
were aroused, and he started forward, staring through the opening in the
bushes made by Melky's fingers.
"Good Lord!" he said. "You're right. One of the Chinamen!"
The full moon was high in a cloudless sky by that time, and its rays fell
full on a yellow face--and on a dark gash that showed itself in the yellow
neck below. Whoever this man was, he had been killed by a savage
knifethrust that had gone straight and unerringly through the jugular
vein. Ayscough pointed to a dark wide stain which showed on the earth at
the foot of the bushes.
"Stabbed!" he muttered. "Stabbed to death! And dragged in here--look at
that--and that!"
He turned, pointing to more stains on the gravelled path behind them--
stains which extended, at intervals, almost to the entrance door in the
outer wall.
Pages:
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254